Renovating

Five products that make DIY life easier

The Irwin handsaw is an economical and exceptionally effective way to cut wood. Extra-hard teeth make for long-lasting cutting action.

Photograph by: Steve Maxwell
, Ottawa Citizen

A constant stream of new products flow through my workshop for testing and the best of them can make a big difference in the success of your do-it-yourself projects. Here are five real winners:

1. Tjernlund room-to-room air exchange fans It's surprisingly difficult to find a simple, quiet electric fan for moving air from one room to another through a floor or wall, but a small company in Minnesota solves this problem with the best hardware I've seen for the job.

Tjernlund (tjernlund.com; 800-255-4208) offers very specific, U.S.-made fans for solving ventilation challenges and I know from trials in my shop that their ASLL model is exceptionally quiet - less than 1.5 sones, which is a measurement of perceived loudness. A onesone fan is quite a bit quieter than most bathroom exhaust fans. They also sell other specialty fans for extended dryer vent runs, for attic ventilation and crawl-space ventilation.

2. Stanley Flexi-Felt floor protectors The main thing about your new hardwood or laminate floor is that it lasts a long time. Scratches from furniture legs are heartbreaking and that's why you need protection. Self-sticking felt pads work OK, but they fall off in time. Stanley's Flexi-Felt floor protectors are amazingly tough and they stay put. Their clear vinyl collar goes over the bottom end of legs from 5/8 to 1 5/8 inch in diameter, creating the most reliable felt protection I've seen for floors. Prices vary from $4 to $25, depending on type and package size. They're available at Preston Hardware, Brafasco Hardware and Ottawa Fastener Supply Ltd.

3. Irwin handsaws Sometimes a handsaw is the fastest and best way to get something cut and when you do reach for a handsaw, you can't beat models with a Japanese tooth pattern. Each tooth is longer and pointier than regular saw teeth and that's why they cut faster. Irwin upped the ante in handsaw design and so far their Danish-made Universal Handsaw is the best general purpose model I've used. It includes very hungry teeth, plus cut-outs in the blade for marking various angles. These saws are cheap, too - $19 for the 15-inch and $22 for the 20-inch. Check out my video review at stevemaxwell.ca/irwin-handsaw-video.

4. Stanley Bostitch N62FNK-2 finishing nailer

This 15-gauge air nailer has features I've never seen in other finishing nailers:

- It operates without need for lubri-cating oil.

- It has an on-board LED light to il-luminate dark work areas.

- There's a button-activated blower to clear sawdust from work areas.

- There's a swivelling 16-inch-long gauge to find studs from one nail to the next.

The Stanley finishing nailer also comes with four interchangeable nose tips that make it easy to sink nails into the right spot in beadboard, cove, tongue and groove, and 5/16 inch in from a square edge. This tool is also quite light, weighing in at 1,890 grams on my scale, with a great street price of $229.

5. Paslode CF325 gas nailer

This tool drives framing nails without the need for an air hose. Replaceable cylinders of combustible gas provide the energy. I like this particular model because it fits into tight spaces - even between typical studs and trusses.

The nose piece is easier to push in than other gas nailers I've used and the tool is also about a pound lighter than the air-powered framing nailers I own. Unlike previous generations of gas nailers, the fuel canister drops in without need for fumbling. The $529 Canadian Tire price isn't cheap, but this tool does eliminate the need for a compressor for framing applications.

A big part of DIY success involves starting with the right tools and materials. It's difficult to tell what works and what doesn't just by appearances, so send me a message for any specific recommendations you're looking for.

Steve Maxwell, syndicated home improvement and woodworking columnist, has shared his DIY tips, howto videos and product reviews since 1988. Follow him at SteveMaxwell.ca, on Facebook or @Maxwells_Tips on Twitter.

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